Athlon II X2 280 vs Pentium 3560M

Athlon II X2 280 vs Pentium 3560M Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X2 280

2 / 2

1,355

+0.7%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium 3560M

2 / 2

1,345

0.0%

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Athlon II X2 280 vs Pentium 3560M FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Athlon II X2 280 vs Pentium 3560M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon II X2 280

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 512W, a 447W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Stock), unlike Pentium 3560M.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $50 MSRP, while Pentium 3560M mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Pentium 3560M

2014

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,345 vs 1,355).
❌687.7% higher power demand at 512W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X2 280.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II X2 280 better than Pentium 3560M?

Yes. Athlon II X2 280 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 2.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.7% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Athlon II X2 280 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 2.3% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II X2 280 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Athlon II X2 280 is the better buy right now. Athlon II X2 280 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $50 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 2.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (27.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium 3560M makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2014 vs 2013). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon II X2 280 vs Pentium 3560M Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon II X2 280

The Athlon II X2 280 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 February 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,355 points. Launch price was $100.

Pentium 3560M

The Pentium 3560M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 April 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,345 points. Launch price was $134.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon II X2 280 and Pentium 3560M share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Athlon II X2 280 versus 2.4 GHz on the Pentium 3560M — a 40% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 280 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Athlon II X2 280 uses the Regor (2009−2013) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 3560M uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X2 280 scores 1,355 against the Pentium 3560M's 1,345 — a 0.7% lead for the Athlon II X2 280. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 280 vs 2 MB on the Pentium 3560M.

Feature	Athlon II X2 280	Pentium 3560M
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz+50%	2.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+50%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	512 kB
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Regor (2009−2013)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,355	1,345
Geekbench 6 Single	290	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	550	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X2 280 uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 3560M uses PGA946 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II X2 280	Pentium 3560M
Socket	AM3	PGA946
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X2 280) / not specified (Pentium 3560M). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 280 targets Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 280 rivals Pentium E6700.